Praying Together 2021

36 Week Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. COLLECT Let us pray that God will form a new heart within us. (pause) God of compassion, when we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the letter of St James 2:2-4 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. That is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE Gathered before God our Father and Creator, let us pray for those who work in the world. For those who work for justice: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For those who feel invisible: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For those who are trapped in poverty: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For those who live lives of service: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For the prayers in our hearts today: (pause while students offer their prayers aloud) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. DISMISSAL May God bless us and protect us and bring us to eternal life. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ring the bell or chime to signal the end of the prayer. Extinguish the candle. “You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes.” Tuesday Week 4 Lent 16 March 2021